In my lifetime, I’ve only ever witnessed the changing of the guard at the Papal Palace on two occasions, when John Paul II died and was replaced by Benedict XVI, and when he died and was replaced by Francis. Now, with the news yesterday morning that Pope Francis has died, curious spectators will once again turn their eyes to the Vatican, to watch for the smoke signal to declare a new head of the Catholic Church has been decided.
Francis’ reign as Pope was slightly longer than his predecessor (12 years vs 7), but both paled in comparison to JPII (who was Pope for over a quarter-century). Nevertheless, despite a relatively brief tenure, as with all Popes, he earned for himself both enemies and friends, and his comments on world events frequently made headlines. The Pope is not just the head of a religious organization, he’s a major political figure and a global celebrity. Now he is dead. What happens next?
When a Pope dies… his enemies rejoice, as all evil men do when death claims a life, since death itself is a weapon of our greatest enemy, the Devil.
When a Pope dies… his friends mourn, as all loved ones do when death claims a life, since death rips us away from our loved ones, and denies us the chance to hear their voice, see their smile, or feel their touch.
When a Pope dies… the rest of the world keeps living, at least for a time, since death is a fact of life that will claim all of us before the coming of the Lord.
When a Pope dies… it’s the same as when anyone else dies, since death is the same for every man: The body’s grip on the soul is loosened, and the two which were inseparable in life, are now torn apart in death.
Some who die are more famous than others, but we all share the same world, we all breathe the same air, and each of us will one day draw breath for the last time and then return to the dust of the earth from which we all were made. All any of us—whether famous or not—can control is what we do in the time we have in this world, and in this life, so that when we die, our souls are saved, our minds are rested, and our bodies are laid down with the promise that, one day, we will rise to be judged according to all we have done (2 Corinthians 5:10), and live forever with God by the saving grace of Jesus.
~Matthew